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User blog:Mochizou/A Front
In a small town lies Kaijo High School. It's an ordinary high school with ordinary students. At the school, students are required to join a club in order to pass the year. 8 students make up the Culture Club and this is their story... Culture Shock.'episode 7.'A Front He wasn't always so insecure. In fact, he used to be confident. A short while ago, Damian was filled with self-confidence. During his middle school years, he was popular with his classmates and known for his outgoing nature. That changed the day he was publicly humiliated. After gym one day, Damian had gone to use the showers and had accidentally walked through the wrong door and found himself in the middle of a corridor, naked and with the eyes of the school on him. It was a nightmare come true as dozens of students pointed and laughed at the embarrassed Damian. There he stood in his most vulnerable form and all anyone could do was laugh. It had stuck with him, he could never get the images of the laughing kids out of his mind. Even moving across the country to a random high school in a random town couldn't erase the memories. One day, Damian decided to use his body and his sexuality to create an atmosphere around himself. To breathe confidence, to use his body as his shield. It helped cope with school but it has never destroyed the past and the longer the front he puts up continues, the harder it becomes on Damian to let go of his insecurity. He's trapped between a rock and a hard place. 'Tori: '''Yo '''Damian: '''What's up hispter? '''Tori: '''I'm bored '''Damian: '''You wanna do something? '''Tori: '''Let's go bowling or something '''Damian: '''Sure ''Tori was Damian's closest friend and the only person he felt he could be truly honest with. He believed that Tori was aware of his insecurity by now and didn't feel the need to tell her but he still wondered if he should. Throughout everything, she had never judged him and he took comfort from that, she was the only person who he felt never pointed and laughed. Of course, he trusted the others as well but he wasn't as close to them as he was with Tori. She knew him and that's why he trusted her so much 'Tori: '''You look cute today '''Damian: '''Thanks. That's the look I was going for '''Tori: '''You should dress like that more often, it really suits you '''Damian: '''When did you become so fashion conscious? '''Tori: '''I'm just saying. Ususally, you wear your uniform like it's falling apart and outside of school, you're usually in sexy clothing. It's nice to see you in just a normal style. ''It was rare for Damian to dress casually and plain. For him, it was showing his vulnerable side, showing himself. He was used to dressing seductively as part of his front but it was hard for him to dress how he really wanted, he felt safe to do so around Tori, and today it was paying off. Today he felt confident. 'Tori: '''Do you want me to give the others a call? '''Damian: '''Huh? '''Tori: '''It's a nice day, I thought we could perhaps meet up with the others '''Damian: '''No! '''Tori: '''It was just a suggestion '''Damian: '''It's not that I don't want them here, I....I like it just you and me '''Tori: '''Sure '''Damian: '''I just feel most comfortable with just you around. Sometimes it gets a bit chaotic with the others around '''Tori: '''It's not a problem ''It was his insecurity that kept him from wanting the others around. He'd love to spend the day with everyone but he'd taken a big step dressing how he really wanted and showing his real look to Tori, he wasn't ready to show the others, not yet The cultural festival was gradually getting closer and the club were hard at work preparing for it. Their club was just a front, an excuse to hang out and to appease the teachers but now they were actually having to do something and if anything, it was bringing them closer, but also driving a wedge between them. At the school, Ash and Kieran were busy putting up posters and decorations for the festival. 'Kieran: '''Does this look good? '''Ash: '''Just a little higher '''Kieran: '''Here? '''Ash: '''Higher '''Kieran: '''If I put this poster any higher, I'll lose my balance '''Ash: '''I won't catch you if you fall '''Kieran: '''I know '''Ash: '''Let me help ''Ash shakes the small ladder that Kieran's standing on 'Kieran: '''Hey, stop that! I'll fall ''Ash laughs and lets go and then continues to laugh as he tries to regain his balance. He puts the poster in place and gets off the ladder. 'Kieran: '''How is everything? '''Ash: '''It all looks good. We're doing a good job '''Kieran: '''That's not what I meant. I was talking about you '''Ash: '''Oh. I'm ok. I haven't had an attack since the one you walked in on '''Kieran: '''That's great. I um..did some research on anxiety '''Ash: '''You did? '''Kieran: '''Well, I wanted to understand it better, so that I can help '''Ash: '''You did that for me? '''Kieran: '''Yeah '''Ash: '''Thanks ''Back in town, Damian and Tori are enjoying their day. They've had fun, like always and Damian feels like he's in a good place. As they're passing through, they come across a suspicious group. They're all close to six feet tall with hoodies that cast a shadow over their face. Damian and Tori attempt to pass by quickly unnoticed but their plan fails 'Thug 1: '''What have we here? Lovebirds? '''Tori: '''Not at all '''Thug 2: '''Oh, the girl speaks first. What are you, whipped ''The gang laugh at Damian '' '''Tori: '''Leave him alone ''At this point, Damian brings out his front, his only defence 'Damian: '''Now, now boys. There's no need to be so threatening. If you're all that worked up, I know a few ways to help you unwind, if you catch my drift '''Thug 1: '''Don't you fucking come near me ''The thug punches Damian who falls to the floor 'Tori: '''Damian! '''Thug 2: '''Let us make this very clear, we have our own way of unwinding, and it invloves our kicking making contact with cowards like you ''The thugs proceed to kick and hurt Damian, with each kick it gets more violent as Damian gets bruised and beaten 'Tori: '''STOP IT! PLEASE! STOP! ''Tori attempts to push them off Damian but the only shove her away and she falls to the floor 'Tori: '''HELP! SOMEBODY! PLEASE JUST STOP ''Eventually, the thugs get bored and they run off. Tori gets up and runs straight over to Damian to examine the damage. He's a mess, his face is badly bruised and his clothes stained with scuff marks and blood. Tori lifts Damian up and supports him 'Tori: '''Come on, let's get you somewhere safe ''Tori helps Damian walk to the school believing that someone will be there to help. It's a this point that she realises that it's Saturday and there'll be no one there to help her. With Damian struggling to keep walking, she has no choice but to take him inside so he can rest. It's a moment of relief when she sees Ash and Kieran in the building. 'Tori: '''Guys! Help, it's Damian, he's hurt '''Kieran: '''What happened?! '''Tori: '''Some guys, they hurt him. Please, just help '''Ash: '''I'll call Yazzy. She's trained in first aid, or perhaps we should get him to the hospital? '''Damian: '''N-o....no...hospital '''Ash: '''Alright, I'll call Yazzy ''It took 5 minutes for Yazzy to arrive who brought with the her remaining members of the culture club. Tori, Kieran and Ash had managed to get Damian to the culture club's room and laid down on the couch. 'Yazzy: '''Is he ok? '''Cam: '''What the hell happened to him? '''Tori: '''He was attacked '''Gegi: '''Oh my god. Why would someone do that? '''Lizzy: '''Cowards, that's what they are ''Yazzy tends to Damian's injuries as best as she can. 'Yazzy: '''I'm gonna find who did this to you Damian, and I'm gonna make sure they pay ok? '''Cam: '''They sound like Lizzy's words '''Yazzy: '''They're mine and I mean it. I won't have someone else go through this. I know how much it hurts, I won't let Damian go through that '''Cam: '''Huh? '''Yazzy: '''Nevermind. We need to get him to the hospital. His injuries are really bad. '''Gegi: '''I'll call my mom, she can drive us over there. '''Yazzy: '''I'll come with you. '''Tori: '''Me too ''Once Gegi's mom had come and collected Damian, Ash, Lizzy, Cam and Kieran were left to survey the damage. '' '''Kieran: '''I can't believe someone would do that to Damian. He's one of the greatest guys I know '''Cam: '''He'd never hurt anyone. Despite all his bravado, he's a nice guy '''Lizzy: '''It just doesn't make sense '''Ash: '''Nothing seems to lately '''Cam: '''I'm gonna go over to the hospital. I know the others are already there, but he's my friend and I need to know he's ok. ''Kieran's phone rings 'Kieran: '''Sorry, I need to take this ''He goes out of the room to answer the call 'Lizzy: '''I need to get going to, my brother's coming over for lunch, I shoudn't have even come here in the first place but I had to make sure Damian was ok. '''Ash: '''I'll see you both later then? '''Lizzy: '''Why don't you come round later on. We could have a sleepover? '''Ash: '''Sounds great ''Cam and Lizzy leave as Kieran re-enters the room 'Ash: '''There's so much going on today. So much for a quiet day of decorating, am I right? '''Kieran: '''Yeh ''Kieran looks like he's seen a ghost 'Ash: '''What is it? '''Kieran: '''That was my mom. She wants me to come home '''Ash: '''For a visit? '''Kieran: '''For good ''At the hospital, Damian's injuries have been treated but he's in a fragile state, he feels weak and vulnerable and everyone around is proving to be too much. He'd love to send them all home, but they care about him and he knows that 'Tori: '''How are you feeling? '''Damian: '''I'm fine '''Tori: '''Are you sure? '''Damian: '''I said I'm fine! '''Tori: '''Ok, sorry '''Yazzy: '''Is there anything we can do to help? '''Damian: '''No, it's ok. You should all go home, there's no point being here now '''Cam: '''We want to stay, we're not leaving you like this '''Damian: '''I've already said I'm fine, so please, just go ''Despite not wanting to, they leave Damian alone and go home. The next day at school, Damian is nowhere to be seen. '' '''Cam: '''Has anyone seen Damian today? '''Lizzy: '''I haven't '''Yazzy: '''Neither have I? '''Tori: '''No '''Ash: '''Perhaps he's recovering '''Kieran: '''It's possible '''Gegi: '''He probably needs a few days '''Tori: '''I've never seen him like that before. He looked genuinely scared yesterday. I've never seen him so closed in. '''Cam: '''Yeh, Damian is many things but he's never been a shut in '''Gegi: '''Perhaps the attacks has affected him more than we realise '''Lizzy: '''There's nothing we can do right now. He's going to need a few days anyway to recover, if he still seems standoffish after that, we'll deal with it '''Cam: '''But Lizzy he's our friend '''Lizzy: '''Exactly and if we go over there now, he'll only push us away. You saw how he was yesterday. '''Tori: '''Lizzy's right. He would hate if we went over and made a fuss. I'll keep an eye on him for us ok. '''Cam: '''Please do '''Yazzy: '''I'm gonna go home '''Kieran: '''Already? But we've just started '''Yazzy: '''I've got stuff to do '''Ash: '''Yazzy? ''Yazzy gets up and leaves before anyone gets the chance to say goodbye. She never thought that she would find herself in this situation. When she transferred into Kaijo High School at the start of the year, it was supposed to be her chance to leave the pain behind. Even if it wasn't happening to her, it was all too real. Damian's attack reminded her of everything. Of the day's her hair would be pulled or the day's when she would be tripped up. Her mind flashed back to the day's when she would find her stuff missing or she would be cornered by the same group of girls. Damian's attack brought back everything to Yazzy, the day's when she was bullied and now someone else had to suffer the same pain as her and she hated it. Category:Blog posts